6 People Tortured, Killed in Mexico

The tortured bodies of five men and a woman were found inside a pickup truck in northern Mexico, local police reported, in what may have been drug-related executions.

The assistant director of the Chihuahua state judicial police, Jesus Antonio Pinon, said police still have not determined a motive but believe the victims _ whose bodies were found Sunday in the state capital, Chihuahua city _ were linked to organized crime.

Pinon said state officials are working with federal prosecutors to determine if the case falls within their jurisdiction. Drug offenses are federal crimes in Mexico, and the involvement of federal prosecutors suggests they believe drug trafficking may have been involved.

Chihuahua state, which runs along much of the Texas border, has long been plagued by drug violence.

State officials said the woman was about 25 years old and the men ranged in age from 32 to 55. At least some had been strangled or suffocated and then shot in the head, officials said.

Pinon said authorities have identified five of the bodies and are awaiting confirmation on the sixth.